Thing 22

I chose to look at SEOMOZ.org to see what that site lists as significant web 2.0 sites and tools. I noted that Mango previously won SEOMOZ's award for one of the best in education category, so that validates our choice of a language database. SEOMOZ has some interesting tools and articles about optimizing your site in the search engines (i.e., internet marketing). This is probably of greater interest in the corporate world, but visibility is always a good thing for libraries as well.

Wikis -- Thing 21

Wikis have great potential as a means of sharing expertise. The collaborative efforts of a group of experts can result in a powerful resource. Unfortunately, wikis such as wikipedia have diluted respect for this "thing". While nearly everyone I know has visited wikipedia, most have learned to look for the tags telling you that verification is needed, and to apply a healthy dose of skepticism to the postings. I prefer to use professional wikis (i.e., created by professionals in a specific field). An example is structuralwiki.org by structural engineers. It is well-organized, and includes a good glossary of terms as well as discussions on engineering topics, software reviews, and a directory of engineers. So if you want to know what a purlin is, or about finite-element analysis software, here is your opportunity.

Podcasting -- Thing 20

Podcasting, and vodcasting, are widely available and are often the "means of choice" for sharing information and training workshops. For this "thing", I tried three different audios. I listened to a portion of a book at nancykeane.com. This was very high quality, by a professional reader. I also listened to a podcast from the Denver Public Library. I would rate it as middle of the road: it would have benefited from a more animated vocal. Without a visual component, the vocal becomes extremely important. The sound was clear (without any background noise). Lastly I tried the teen poetry contest from the Woodcrest branch of Los Angeles Public Library. Again the sound was clear. Because these are amateurs, the quality varies with each person, but the enthusiasm was obvious. Maybe there is an opportunity for our library to podcast the youth poetry and/or storytelling auditions.

Hulu -- Thing 19

While Hulu has a lot to offer, viewing on a computer may not be appealing to many users. Yes, you can hook your computer up to a different monitor to get the "big screen" effect, but many will not. Also, having to contend with commercials is not very appealing, but is not much different that a video DVD (especially if you select to view all the commercials up front). So that's the down side. The up side is the extensive library of offerings, and the instant availablility -- no "it's checked out by someone else", no damaged media, and no losses.

In the future, it would be great if subscriptions to series or genres were offered, and patrons could download (like they do with ebooks). That might be the answer to the endless issue of providing everyone's favorite TV series on DVD.

Hulu's advertising revenue is growing by leaps and bounds, indicating that it is a big success -- and is recognized as such by companies marketing their products. And, as you see in the news, Netflix is stiff competition for Blockbuster

To revisit a prior "thing" on cloud computing, I saw recently that Office 2010 is supposed to be available from the cloud; i.e., you would download and use only the relevant parts. I am not sure how the licensing will work, but sounds like a good concept.

YouTube

Here we are at thing 18 or 20 -- the list and heading says 18, but the text says: "For Thing 20, spend some time watching library-produced videos on YouTube." (Yes, I really read what is posted for each thing.) But YouTube is such a biggie that we could make a case for it counting as more than one thing.

What's good about YouTube? Nearly everyone knows about it. And there are lots of entertaining videos.

What's bad about YouTube? Nearly everyone knows about it. And a lot of inconsequential "stuff" gets posted.

I looked at "The Adventures of Super Librarian" and found it mildly entertaining. I searched for Molly Ivins Library and saw a visual tour. On the music side, I tried Lady Gaga, then Taylor Swift at the Grammies and finally Stevie Nicks from 1976.

My next venture was to music for concentration. An interesting concept, and some good music was retrieved.

So YouTube ranks fairly high for entertainment and curiosity. But would I use YouTube for research? A big NO at this stage. Why not? Primarily it is too difficult to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information retrieved. Secondarily, I learn from words as much -- or more -- than from visuals. However, I recognize that others may learn differently, and that the medium may develop in a way that is more friendly toward serious research.

Music Streaming

I tried Last.fm for several types of music, from baroque / classical guitar to classic rock to French. The suggestions were interesting: Claudine Longet referred me to Bridgette Bardot (I did not know she had recorded a bossa nova song).

It is likely that many people use sites of this type to sample music, and to locate songs and artists that are difficult to locate. Those who have favorites are more likely to buy a CD (or iTunes) copy. It may have some impact on the checkouts of music CDs. However, not everyone will want to be tied to the computer when listening to music.

Personally, I listen to music either live or in my car, not at my computer. So I will probably not be a heavy user. The world is a noisy place, and I rarely think more sound is desirable.

To revisit a prior "thing", here is an interesting link to an article about using social networking in your personal finances:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/social-media-sites-can-save-you-money-2010-03-25
Prior to 23 Things, I probably would not have read this. So thanks for broadening my horizons.

Google Docs

I tried the documents, presentation, spreadsheet, and forms options. The tools are generally easy to use and reasonably powerful for shareware not requiring a license. However, users of Microsoft Office will probably not be motivated to convert. Sharing files sounds great, but it did not work for me. I created a document (logged in with my gmail account), then shared it with editing options with my City account and with my Yahoo account. In both cases (and with multiple attempts), when I tried to access the document, I got a server error:
Server Error
Google Docs has encountered a server error. We are looking into the problem now.
You might be able to download your document by right-clicking it in the main docs list. Select "Export as" and the format you prefer.
To discuss this or other issues, visit the Google Docs Help forum. To see the status of Google applications, check the Google Apps Status Dashboard. (report #k+LEWF6MXe1l+ZUg)
Maybe it would work with two gmail users. So document sharing gets rated as "good idea, bad execution".

The concept of cloud computing makes sense and is likely to become more heavily used. I recently heard an author say that he stores his manuscript this way. Certainly Google's server (or Microsoft's if using Office Live Add-In) should be better protected from fire, flood, theft, power failure, etc. than a personal computer is. And, one would hope, it is also more secure from assaults by hackers or viruses.

Google: Maps et alia

Here is the link to the map I choose:

View Larger Map

Maps on the internet are great, because they cover nearly every location, and are updated more frequently than printed maps and atlases. I like the options such as terrain views, and "find **** nearby" choices.

Unfortunately, many people think the web maps are completely up-to-date and accurate, and that is definitely not true (or possible).


In re privacy on the web, check out this article about Google's Orwell Moment:
www.newsweek.com/id/233773.

TinyURL and YouSendIt

TinyURL is not an application that I had personnally used. I have seen it on websites, including city and county webpages. The big advantage of TinyURL is that the webmaster can maintain an organized structure for the website AND the user can work with a simple URL name.

YouSendIt is great for sharing a large file. Some files with graphics become very large, or a person may create and share a compressed (zip) file. I am waiting for the tool that enables sending a folder (i.e, bypassing the zip step). YouSendIt avoids issues with files too big to deliver to some email boxes. And it does not require a licensed FTP program and a website where you can post files for download -- YouSentIt is doing all that for the user.

Both of these are convenient utilities for fun and for business.

Facebook

I think the public expects a more obvious library presence on a Facebook Page. Many organizations and businesses have a page, with links from their websites. In fact, there are now software packages that will track Facebook for references to a specific business. This enables the business to address any issues. If you want to learn more, here is a link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rightnow-targets-social-sites-but-path-is-bumpy-2010-02-18?link=kiosk. (Can you think of an auto manufacturer that would have benefited from this tool?)

Personally, I am not a Facebook fan. The 23things exercise said: "One aspect of Facebook you should notice right away is that Facebook discourages anonymity. Scary? Maybe." In fact, it is more than scary; it is, in my opinion, an unnecessary sacrifice of privacy. If others enjoy it, more power to them. I created a Facebook account under an alias for this exercise and have already been "friended".

LinkedIn

This was an easy "thing" because I joined LinkedIn a couple of years ago and visit it frequently. It has enabled me to re-connect with past co-workers, and keep up with their professional experiences. This is one of the resources we selected for the Job Resources page at friscolibrary.com. The job searching options work well, and employers can also post openings. Several people in my circle of acquaintances have discovered interesting employment opportunities through LinkedIn.

LibraryThing

This is a fun site. I especially enjoy the information about characters and places within the books. And news about events at local bookstores is useful. The blog about ebook economics and libraries is definitely worth the read (http://www.librarything.com/thingology/atom.xml). The most difficult part about all of it was finding an available user name!

Delicious

Bookmarking is very useful for those who regularly visit a variety of websites. Delicious is one of the better-known bookmarking options. It enables you to quickly access websites, either by name, or by the tags you choose to assign.

For my bookmarking, I selected two financial sites that I frequently visit. I was surprised that marketwatch.com had many bookmarks and yahoo finance had very few. (Perhaps it is an undiscovered treasure trove.)

Because I tend to go back to a very select group of websites, bookmarking is not something I have used a lot. However, Delicious makes it easy, and is worth pursuing.

Here is the link to my list of bookmarks: http://delicious.com/FPLJ

(I included a reference to Delicious when I taught the computer class on using the internet.)

Tagging

If we always had the computer database available, tagging could replace a structured system of subject headings. There are many sections of any subject heading cataloging system that are not intuitive to patrons. For example, finance is in Dewey 300 and business is in Dewey 600: most users say business and finance, necessitating a longer reference interview to discern more precisely what they want. Self-help is another common "lay term" or tag that is spread through many areas of Dewey (and LC is similar). Tagging provides a means for everyone to add terms without requiring revisions to a structured system. The current buzzword can immediately be applied.
When the computer is not available to assist in searching for and retrieving tags, a structured system is necessary to locate items. And the tags must be tied to a physical location of an item (unless we are dealing only with electronic resources).

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging is a great tool when "instant" is required. The challenge is that all parties must be using the same system.

Within an organization, it works well. Between organizations or individuals, a little pre-planning is required. This is not unlike the PC sharing software, where parties must select a software tool and both log on.

For interactions between library staff and patrons, there are certainly situations where instant messaging would be helpful and appropriate. Examples would be health sciences, business, military, and similar time-sensitive cases.

In the public library setting, patrons may desire instant responses but rarely are these essential. Looking at our library, I see that we already have cases where phone calls are coming in to the Ask Us desk while staff is handling "in-person" patrons. Adding instant messaging to the mix would not seem to improve service - unless there is staff dedicated to telephone, email, IM and other electronic reference.

Digg is an innovative example of supply and demand: the users provide the supply and define the demand by their control of the ratings. I do notice the Digg button when I view articles on websites but have never voted.

Like search engines, there is no formal search term structure or subject headings. In the library, we tend to be more constrained by subject headings and defined categories. This is sometimes advantageous, but less intuitive to our users.

The voting on Digg is analogous to our weeding process: if no one is interested, the item is discarded. However, we move in a much slower time frame.

While I found some great articles (such as one on tablet computers), and I got a chuckle out of "What did the Google phone say to the iPhone?", a lot of the entries seemed superficial. Confession time: I read Newsweek and Wall Street Journal instead of People magazine, and I read more nonfiction that fiction. I understand that entertainment is an important component of life, and Digg could be entertaining.

I was surprised to encounter commerically sponsored entries (such as AVG anti-virus) as I did not know this was part of Digg.

So should the library create a Digg account and recommend articles? In my opinion, there are more effective ways to promote our services.